Palestine Response and resilience series - IPPF
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Response and resilience series
Palestine
COVID-19 IPPF Innovation and best
practice: Digitalising for young people
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) provides young people
with accurate information and skills to make informed decisions
about their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and
take control of their sexual well-being. Reports have suggested
“The sessions came at a that high adolescent birth rates occur in all countries where
time that I really needed sexuality education (SE) is curtailed.
it, I was beginning to feel
CSE programmes addressing gender, rights and power are up to
isolated with the lockdown
five times more effective in reducing negative outcomes, including
imposed. It was great to be unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). CSE has
in contact with my peers and a transformative impact with teaching methods that support students to
participate in the sessions.” question social and cultural norms around gender and develop gender-
equitable attitudes, and leads to more consistent condom use, lower
Youth, Hebron, 19 years old pregnancy rates, and reduced risk of HIV infection and partner violence.
COVID-19 saw the closure of schools and face-to-face gatherings
worldwide, meaning a halt to CSE for many young people. In response,
International Planned Parenthood Federation Member Associations
got innovative in using digital tools to engage with young people and
continue delivering Sexuality Education.*
The initial findings of IPPF’s COVID-19 impact survey March 2020
indicated that the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association
(PFPPA) had to pivot their youth services to reach young people in their
homes whilst education facility closures were enforced as part of the
lockdown.
This Learning Brief highlights innovations of PFPPA’s COVID-19 enhanced
comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) strategies reached young people
aged 15-25 in the pandemic.
* Sexuality education through online tools is referred to as digital SE.
1
COVID-19 impact
Youth in Palestine were affected by the closure of social spaces, including
community centres and health clinics. Many young people lost their jobs “The health worker was
due to business shutdowns, and with schools and universities forced to able to answer my questions
close, this restricted movement meant they could not access essential in a way that I was not
sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services in safe and
embarrassed and although
youth-friendly settings.
I was reluctant to approach
her about a personal issue,
Enhancing services in she made me feel like it
was totally normal and
the pandemic now I am relieved after our
discussion.”
In line with the March 2020 Ministry of Health of Palestine’s guidance to
avoid gatherings as a preventive measure, PFPPA cancelled all its outreach Youth, Gaza, 22 years old
activities and planned training courses. This service reduction led to a
decrease in the number of people they reached with accurate information
on SRHR topics through face-to-face settings. PFPPA immediately shifted
their youth services and awareness sessions to digital platforms such as
WhatsApp, Facebook messenger and Zoom.
Digitalising for young people
PFPPA had 70 peer educators conducting digital sexuality education
(SE) sessions in both the West Bank and Gaza via Zoom and WhatsApp
groups. The virtual sessions were run with peer educators or at least one
PFPPA staff member to each youth cluster. The groups were organised
through contacts with local community-based organization’s youth groups
and peer educator networks with family, friends, and acquaintances.
PFPPA also offered a playback (WhatsApp group recordings) link for
youth unable to attend the sessions to access at their convenience. They
could pick themes and conversations through the members of the group.
Over 280 digital SE sessions were conducted in 2020, reaching over
4,600 youth with an average of 14 participants per sessions. The digital
sexuality education (SE) sessions had a significant impact, with over 1,500
consultations provided through remote sessions in 2020.
“PFPPA contacted me to check if I had the contraception
method I normally use, as I was really afraid the pills
were almost finishing, and we were under lockdown. I felt
thankful when they reached my house and provided me
with the pills in addition to a hygiene kit. They actually
saved me.”
PFPPA client, Bethlehem, 25 years old
2
Key challenges Next steps
• The virtual approach was new for staff, • Due to the feedback from young people
volunteers, and peer educators, which took since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the
some time to adjust for running SE online. increase in consultations, PFPPA is finalizing
• Maintaining youth participation and finding a mobile application for access to sexual and
the best times for them to engage. The team reproductive health, gender-based violence
observed a preference for the afternoon and and SE information to launch May 2021.
scheduled sessions to maximize attendance. One significant component of the app will
• Connectivity was an issue due to the be to encourage youth participation in the
pressure on the networks; this was remedied Association’s work.
by running sessions at different times to suit • PFPPA will ensure using lessons learned
volunteers and peer educators. from COVID-19 mitigation and leverage
• Recruiting new peer educators was a big mobile app use for SRH services and SE as a
challenge at first. PFPPA succeeded in complementary method to direct provision.
strengthening ties to keep trained Peer
Educators involved and active in their
programmes.
Lessons
• The younger generation (17-22) preferred
Zoom, as it provided them with the chance
to meet and discuss issues directly and had
the flexibility to run different rooms for
group discussions.
• The virtual approach provided the
opportunity to reach larger numbers of
young people during different times and
areas that PFPPA would not ordinarily reach
within their regular geographical targeted
scope.
• Youth can work under different
circumstances and can be creative.
3Recommendations for SRH services,
governments, and civil society organizations
(CSOs)
• Based on the local experiences and needs
identified during the COVID-19 response, • Governments and CSOs should invest in closing
guidelines for delivering digital SE and to provide the digital gap and ensure that essential SRH
technical assistance and capacity building should services are available and linked with digital SE
be developed. Digital SE interventions are likely during emergencies.
to be more beneficial when mainstreamed and
conducted along with online classes during routine • As the most active digital technologies users,
school hours and should complement rather than Youth networks, youth volunteers and CSOs
replace face-to-face delivery. working on youth should develop digital platforms
to promote SE and increase young people’s
• Governments should ensure that country-level broader engagement, including those most
emergency preparedness plans include continuous vulnerable. Online SE must be delivered in safe
access to SE for all young people as part of digital spaces, free of risks related to cyberbullying
contingency schooling systems, through online and sexual and gender-based violence, where
and other digital interventions aimed at reaching young people’s privacy or anonymity is protected.
out underserved young people.
Endnotes
IPPF COVID-19 Impact Surveys
IPPF COVID-19 Impact survey 1 March 2020: COVID-19 Survey Results | IPPF (ippf-covid19.org)
IPPF COVID-19 Impact survey 2 June 2020: COVID-19 Round 2 Survey Results | IPPF (ippf-covid19.org)
IPPF COVID-19 Impact survey 3 November 2020: COVID-19 Round 3 Survey Results | IPPF (ippf-covid19.org)
About PFPPA
The Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) is a highly active
organization both as an advocate for improved sexual and reproductive health and rights
(SRHR) and in the delivery of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. These include
family planning (FP) services, counselling, and guidance for women in psychological,
legal, and social matters, lab tests, maternal, antenatal and post-natal care, and infertility
services, delivered through service delivery points in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Who we are
The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) offers sexual and reproductive health services that allow
people to make their own choices. We fight for everyone to exercise their right to make those choices. We are
local, through our members and volunteers, and around the world, through our network. We respond to needs,
wherever they are, whoever they need, for as long as they want.
Published: May, 2021
Image 1: Palestine/ PFPPA
Image 2: Palestine/ IPPF/ Hannah Maule-ffinch
Design: David Foster
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